Mr. Huckelberry is a native Tucsonan.  He graduated from Flowing Wells High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering, as well as a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, from The University of Arizona.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer and Registered Land Surveyor in the State of Arizona.

 

Mr. Huckelberry began his career with Pima County in 1974 as a Field Engineer in the Department of Transportation.  He became the Director of the Department of Transportation and Flood Control District in 1979 and held that position until 1986. He served as the Assistant County Manager for Public Works from 1986 to 1993; and since 1993, he has held the position of County Administrator.  As County Administrator, Mr. Huckelberry manages a $1.3 billion budget and a staff of 7,000 employees under the direction of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

 

He has received numerous professional awards and recognition, including:

He has also guided the County to numerous national awards in public works, disaster assistance and recovery, and environmental conservation.

 

Mr. Huckelberry is the primary author of the nationally recognized Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, which received the National Outstanding Plan award from the American Planning Association.

This past Monday I returned from visiting Alamos Mexico and the indigenous communities that are being supported by Rotary Global Grant that our Club is participating in based on a $10,000 donation Past President Cliff gave last year from his Presidential fund for International projects. It is the first Global grant project that I have been able to attend…good and meaningful work is being done.

RCOT members, Dave Gallaher and wife Susan, Joe Daniszewski, myself and our eldest daughter Kristen and Tom Kiernan made the trip down to Alamos along with 12 other Rotarians from some of the 10 Rotary Clubs that supported the Global Grant…loaded into three vans and one car to make the 11-hour drive to Alamos.

 

The $118,172 grant was proposed by the Catalina Club and written by Barbara Kiernan (wife of RCOT member Tom Kiernan) and is focused on improving the infrastructure of rural healthcare in Mexico by increasing the capacity of rural health care facilities to extend medical service, provide training, and support wellness in under-served rural communities. 

 

The grant works with the rural health agency Clinica Alamas in the town of Alamos (Sonora) as they provide primary and emergency medical services to 7 Guarijío indigenous communities (1600 people) in the remote mountainous area surrounding Alamos. Here are some of the community members and the health care team we met during our trip:

 

Two areas of the five areas of focus for the Grant seemed particularly impactful to me:

 

 

 

This link using modern “telemedicine” satellite communication along with the training of local community members to monitor members in each of their communities helps to assure the effectiveness and sustainability of this effort. 

 

A week ago, Sunday we traveled into the mountains to Buradaco Mochibampo, a town of 125 residents. It is the closest of the villages and was reached by a three-hour trip over difficult roads in a Mining Company van.  There, Dr. Betsy Petit, head of Clinca Alamas, and staff started training for the promotoras and assistants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

followed by the long rough ride back to Alamos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now being a Rotary trip there we had to have some fun moments, including taking in the beautiful Colonial town of Alamos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The night we spent in San Carlos with dinner at the Sunset Bar and Grill:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District Governor Kirk Reed and Joe Daniszewski share in fellowship:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And even members of our group joining in with the Mariachi Band at dinner…

Or more formally at the Global Grant kick off dinner on Saturday with our Rotary host Club from Rotario Navojoa (Senora Mexico).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this looks like Good Work and Good Fun…think about joining in on the next trip to Alamos…there will be at least two more trips in the upcoming two years of the project. 

You can talk to member Tom Kiernan, our Director for International, Peter Beahan, Barbara Kiernan at the Catalina Club or me directly if you are interested. 

Rotary and our Club do good works all over the world, I am happy that we are doing some in our neighboring state of Sonora

Mexico!

 

 

YIR,

Chuck Sawyer
President 2018-2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. We had a GREAT time at the Sweetheart dinner, a BIG thanks to Vic Jacobs, Lisa Fogle, Fonda Insley and especially new (returning) member Danielle Bailliere for resurrecting this great event of our past.   Past President and Rotarian John McCaleb and the band were terrific, the event was scheduled to end at 9:00pm, but I think the dancing stopped at 9:45pm!  Put it on your calendar for next year!

 

Please welcome the following new member into the Rotary Club of Tucson.  She will be introduced to the club at a meeting in the near future.

 

New Member:  Jeanne Zetah

 

Classification:  Retired: Community Education